a thread of why you should watch legend of korra for those who still aren’t convinced

sub title: why the legend of korra is a great show

please ignore any typos thanks haha

legend of korra is the sequel series the avatar: the last airbender. atla is a widely loved show and is arguably one of the best tv shows ever created. so legend of korra naturally had BIG shoes to fill.

fans of atla are protective of it, and because of that, korra has gotten a bad name. allow me to debunk that bad name. (i will try to make this as spoiler free as possible)

the legend of korra is a four season (each season averaging 13 episodes) show about the next avatar in the cycle after aang: korra. the main character is woc whos story is filled with a lot of heartache, but she over comes and grows so much throughout the story.

one of the most common criticisms you’ll find is about how head strong korra is. when we meet her, she’s already learned to bend three of the four elements...at age 4. she’s loud, impulsive and most importantly: she wants to be the avatar.

a lot of people dislike korra for these reasons, but i actually think it was really smart writing to make her the exact opposite of aang. it could’ve been very easy for the creators to make the next avatar very similar to aang, but instead they made her different in every way.

it kept the story fresh and interesting, and her headstrong attitude nipped her in the bud a few times, but that’s a huge plot device: korra learning to be more compassionate. she’s witty and clever. it’s important for young girls to see powerful women in tv.

the side characters are lovable, and although we may not get as much of a connection with them as we did with the original gaang, they all losses positive traits and interesting back stories.

she show is far enough in the future that korra is old enough to start her adventure, but close enough in time to the original series that toph, zuko and katara are all still alive, and korra gets to consult them for advice. they’re all badass still as well

the world has changed, of course, after a 100 year war, people had a lot of catching up to do. and all though there’s some speculation about the 1920s New York City aesthetic of Republic City (where most of the story takes place), i think it was a fun twist to the original world.

the music is PHENOMENAL. the east asian influenced music is gorgeous and matches the aesthetic of the orignial series, and on top of that there’s fun, jazzy, 1920s-type music during the more upbeat scenes that really stand out and bring a new flavor

it’s beautiful, the landscape scenes are much more detailed than the ones in atla, and they’re genuinely breathtaking. the animation and cinematography is super inspiring

you get to learn about the first avatar! and you learn a lot more about the lion turtles, history of bending and the spirit world

there’s LGBT representation! it’s not super apparent because it was through nickolodean but it’s there, and it’s really important and wonderful to have that type of representation

there are a handful of really good scenes about aang, who he became, what he did and what he knows now— after death. he shares his knowledge with both korra and his son, tenzin

speaking of tenzin, his family is a big part of the story, and i love them so much. they’re all airbenders and are wild and very similar to aang, and i know aang would’ve been so proud of them. (i will not stand for meelo slander)

on the topic of airbenders, we learn all about where the air nation is headed, and the rebuilding of it, there are some really tender scenes about the new generation of airbenders

tw/ ptsd
the show wasn’t originally targeted towards teens and young adults, but by the fourth season it was clearly for an older age group. it talks about ptsd and recovering from an traumatic experience, which i had never seen in an animated tv show before lok.

it’s important to have that type of conversations in shows for kids because the sad truth of life is that those types of things happen and exist, and to see it portrayed beautifully and accurately in legend of korra educates people and teaches them to be more considerate.

it’s really inspiring to see how korra grows and changes. she starts as a rough and tumble teen and blossoms into a compassionate, wise woman.
—
“aangs story is about a human becoming the avatar, but korras story is about an avatar becoming human.”

is korra a perfect show? no. but i think they did the best they could’ve with the expectations we had. there are things i dislike, yes (*cough* season two *cough*) but i can see past those and look at the bigger picture, what the show really stands for. people look at it too+

harshly, and i really encourage you to watch it with an open mind. there will be things you will dislike, you will have your own opinions on it (good and bad) but be willing to give it a chance. it greatly exceeded my expectations, and it will impress you too.

oh yeah and... asami sato. enough said